2015 Formula 1 Season

[Alferd Packer]

[Irbis]

I'm beginning to think that way as well. Wasn't he the cause of a pretty spectacular crunch — right in the middle of the pit straight — that totally changed the last few laps of a race, in one of the night races a few years back? Can't remember exactly where or when.

That's the problem - people fixate on his performances years ago (meme wheel above my post - what year is that, 2011? I don't think half of them even drive anymore) and due to confirmation bias ignore the fact he not only gets far less penalties these days, they tend to be for technical reasons. He still sometimes crashes, but most of them are other driver fault.

What he got penalty for last race? Oh, yes, speeding in pit lane. Yes, he also had contact with Pérez, but so did Ricciardo and Hamilton, who drove last race like amateurs, banging cars and leaving track multiple times, yet somehow no one dares to accuse them of being bad drivers. Despite both of them having very Maldonaldo-like years in their careers when they had weaker, midfield cars.

Last race also had the problem of not only being Hungaroring, normally very unforgiving track, but being just after burial of Bianchi, something that really shook some drivers. Especially Maldonaldo and Massa, who both were coffin bearers. I find bashing them for their lack of performance after this really distasteful

Bulldozer Maldonado has had three years of endangering others, but because he got the Venuzuelan oil industry behind him which will always buy him a seat he is still racing over much bigger talent.

Talent? In case you forgot, Maldonaldo won a race. In barely midfield Williams, doing something Massa and Bottas, so called future WDC, failed to replicate. Despite having Top 3 car last two years. Outside of World Champions, the only current drivers who stood at top step are Ricciardo, Rosberg and Maldonaldo. Two of these three did that driving very best cars on the grid. Guess who didn't?

But hey, someone who triumphed in a season that featured Vettel, Alonso, Räikkönen, Hamilton, Button, Webber, Massa, Rosberg and Schumacher can't be good if he is just stupid South American!

P.S. Care to name one driver who isn't already World Champion or multiple winner who gets to drive without bringing in big money? Funny that, we had that huge Sauber-van der Garde fiasco just few months ago, yet again, the only driver who gets bashed for it is non-European. Too bad he isn't such titan of skill as Ericsson or Chilton, eh?

[Thanas]

But hey, someone who triumphed in a season that featured Vettel, Alonso, Räikkönen, Hamilton, Button, Webber, Massa, Rosberg and Schumacher can't be good if he is just stupid South American!

You will immediately apologize for this accusation of racism or substantiate it with me acting racist against South Americans.

Failure to do either will result in consequences.

P.S. Care to name one driver who isn't already World Champion or multiple winner who gets to drive without bringing in big money?

Jules Bianchi was one before he had that terrible accident, he also was the only driver to reach F1 without being attached to a youth driving cadre like Helmut Marko's program.

[darth_timon]

I'm not sure I've fully recovered from the Hungarian GP. It was the best race in several years, by a landslide. I thought last year's Hungarian GP was pretty good - this one blew it out the water, and I cannot think of a more fitting tribute to Bianchi.

As we're now more than 50% of the way through the F1 season, I've gone and checked my predictions I made at the start of the season, and here are the results (or you can see it here - http://meerkatmusings.co.uk/formula-1/t ... way-point/

With the exhilarating Hungarian Grand Prix over and with the 2015 F1 season now more than 50% run, I feel it a good opportunity to compare what I predicted would happen, with the story of the season so far.

Am I even remotely close, or am I way, way out?

Lewis Hamilton – Prediction 1st, currently 1st

LewisHamilton

I originally predicted Hamilton would win the title, and after ten races, he’s leading by 21 points – nearly a race win – but I suspect he’s a little disappointed to not have a bigger lead. A tactical blunder led to points dropped at Monaco, whilst Hamilton had no answer to Rosberg’s race pace in Spain or Austria. That said, he controlled the races in Australia, China, Bahrain and Canada, and came through to win in Britain. Hungary was a terrible race for Hamilton that never the less saw him emerge with a greater lead than at the start of the race.

Nico Rosberg – Prediction 2nd, currently 2nd

NicoRosberg

Rosberg has been pretty consistent (a strong trait of his) whilst not quite being able to match his teammate for the most part. At times he’s looked somewhat rattled by Hamilton’s pace and has more often than not had no answer to it. Nevertheless, he has at times looked quick, such as in Austria, where he was untouchable. I would expect Hamilton to extend his championship lead, but Rosberg will not let him leap away.

Sebastian Vettel – Prediction 7th, currently 3rd

SebastianVettel

The first incorrect prediction of mine! Vettel has gone some way toward enhancing his reputation since switching to Ferrari, having previously faced accusations that he was only good in the best car. Opportunistic driving and solid performances have seen Vettel take two wins (Malaysia and Hungary) and a number of podiums that have seen him not only consolidate third place, but keep him in a shout for the championship.

Valtteri Bottas – Prediction 3rd, currently 4th

22.03.2012- Valtteri Bottas (FIN), Test driver Williams F1 Team FW34

Well I wasn’t too far off this one! Bottas has been pretty cool under pressure this season, not getting flustered by pursuing Ferraris (or Mercedes), and might have even won at Silverstone if not for Williams team orders (or lack thereof). He could yet win a race this year on a track that suits the quick Williams car.

Kimi Raikkonen – Prediction 10th, currently 5th

kimiraikkonenforever.com

Raikkonen is enjoying a better season relative to last year, but the Iceman has been anything but cool compared to his teammate Vettel, who has generally outperformed him. Yes, Raikkonen has had some bad luck, but he has not acquitted himself especially well either, with growing rumbles that Ferrari are looking to recruit Finnish compatriot Bottas to replace him next year. A good performance in Hungary until engine trouble might give Raikkonen a platform to build on.

Felipe Massa – Prediction 5th, currently 6th

FelipeMassa

The likeable Massa is only just outside of where I predicted him to be, and only a few points behind Raikkonen. He has generally been consistent, but had a poor race in Hungary. Nevertheless, his experience could serve him in good stead as the season enters the crunch phase. I’m not sure if he will catch Raikkonen (or for that matter Bottas, who isn’t too much further up the road).

Daniel Ricciardo – Prediction 4th, currently 7th

DanielRicciardo

Seemingly perpetually happy, Ricciardo must nevertheless be feeling frustrated at Red Bull’s (or rather, Renault’s) backward steps this season. Whilst last season wasn’t exactly stellar for Red Bull, they at least had a race-winning car – so far, Ricciardo has not had the chance to shine, though Hungary did see him have a realistic crack at a win. He is beating his teammate (so far), which is the first aim of any driver.

Daniil Kvyat – Prediction 6th, currently 8th

DaniilKvyat

Kvyat must be feeling the same frustration as Ricciardo. Chosen to join the ‘A’ team, then unable to be competitive with the front-runners, he has nevertheless been quietly getting on with his job in trying circumstances. He is not too far behind Ricciardo, and his second place in Hungary was a good example of an astute, mature drive.

Nico Hulkenberg – Prediction 12th, currently 9th

Nico Hulkenberg (GER) Sahara Force India F1. 07.11.2014. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 18, Brazilian Grand Prix, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Practice Day. - www.xpbimages.com, EMail: requests@xpbimages.com - copy of publication required for printed pictures. Every used picture is fee-liable. © Copyright: Batchelor / XPB Images

After a slow start to the season, Hulkenberg has hit a purple patch. Some good recent races (along with winning the Le Mans 24 hour race in between his F1 commitments) have enhanced his profile and could yet keep him on the radar of bigger teams. A timely upgrade to the Force India car has certainly helped him.

Romain Grosjean – Prediction 11th, currently 10th

RomainGrosjean

Grosjean and his teammate Maldonaldo have been unlucky. The early phase of the season saw them struggle to reach the finish line, though with Mercedes power and a better overall car design, points have begun to come. Grosjean was at one point looking to be a talented but highly erratic driver – so far he’s been knuckling down and getting on with it in 2015. He is not far behind Hulkenberg (only a point separates them).

Max Verstappen – Prediction 16th, currently 11th

MaxVerstappen

Whilst a lot of attention has been focused on the title fight, it has to be said that so far, the performances of 17 year old Verstappen have been defying his age. He is doing a lot better than I thought he would, and is only two points off Hulkenberg after a very impressive Hungarian Grand Prix where he took an excellent fourth for Toro Rosso. He’s been touted as a future world champion and it’s certainly within the realm of possibility.

Felipe Nasr – Prediction 17th, currently 12th

FelipeNasr

Another F1 debutant, Nasr has been another to quietly impress, particularly early on. He has tailed off a little over the last few races, but has not disgraced himself for Sauber. The car is nevertheless some way off competing for regular points, so I wouldn’t expect too much from Nasr.

Sergio Perez – Prediction 14th, currently 13th

SergioPerez

Perez is a hard one to figure out. At times in his career he has been pretty quick, but some erratic performances have not helped his image. So far this season, Perez has been roundly outperformed by his teammate Hulkenberg, and I don’t see that changing. The Force India car has improved steadily all season, so Perez almost certainly will pick up more points, but I would still expect Hulkenberg to finish ahead of him.

Pastor Maldonado – Prediction 15th, currently 14th

PastorMaldonaldo

It’s perhaps a testament to Maldonado that the first image of him I tried to upload returned an error message! He has a reputation for being the most error-prone driver on the grid and 2015 has so far done nothing to dispel that reputation. He’s had moments of bad luck for sure, but his performance in Hungary was enough to earn him three separate penalties, and concerns remain that he is in Formula 1 because of the money he brings, as opposed to ability. He is well behind teammate Grosjean, both in the standings and in points, and I would not expect him to close that gap.

Fernando Alonso – Prediction 8th, currently 15th

Fernando Alonso

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, especially in Formula 1, and Alonso must look back at former team Ferrari with increasing envy. A tremendous salary is no compensation for trundling around at the back of the pack (assuming you can even start races, let alone finish them), and Alonso must be feeling frustrated at the lack of performance from his McLaren-Honda car. It was always going to be a tough season, but I for one had expected better things from McLaren – how wrong I have been! Nevertheless, Alonso has been plugging away, taking an unexpected fifth place in Hungary by keeping his nose clean when everyone else was getting into tangles. If the car can get even remotely close to the frontrunners in terms of performance, Alonso has the skill to challenge.

Carlos Sainz Jr – Prediction 15th, currently 16th

CarlosSainz

In many respects, the pressure is off Sainz Jr in his debut season – the teammate of Verstappen, no one has been particularly focused on him, and thus he’s been able to get on with it. So far Sainz has acquitted himself quite well – he doesn’t have the quickest of cars, and hasn’t underperformed relative to Verstappen (whose fourth place finish in Hungary wasn’t so much about raw pace, rather than taking advantage of the chaos). He might well be one to watch in years to come.

Jenson Button – Prediction 9th, currently 17th

JensenButton

The amiable Button has tried to keep a smile on his face during this challenging season, but it’s clear that he’s as frustrated as Alonso. It’s hard to imagine Button wanting to stay in F1 much longer without a competitive car, and rumours are starting to float around that Williams might poach him as a replacement for Bottas (should Bottas leave). At this point, with the McLaren car struggling, Button might be tempted to look at a team that’s taken regular podiums over the past year and a half.

Marcus Ericsson – Prediction 18th, currently 18th

MarcusEricsson

I didn’t expect too much from Ericsson this year and so far he hasn’t set the world alight – but then again, the Sauber is far from the quickest car and to have six points on the board in what he’s got isn’t too bad. He may yet scrape here and there for a few more – he will want to close up on teammate Nasr.

Robert Merhi – Prediction 20th, currently 19th

RobertoMerhi

To be honest, I’d earmarked Merhi for 20th place, but both he and teammate Stevens will end up in the bottom two spots (barring a race with barely any finishers!), and who ends up where will depend entirely upon who gets more 19th place finishes than the other. It’s nearly impossible to gauge the success or failure of a season spent entirely at the back, but Merhi has not embarrassed himself and so can be pretty pleased.

Will Stevens – Prediction 19th, currently 20th

WillStevens

For the evaluation of Stevens’ season so far, you might as well look above to Merhi’s entry – it’s been the same story. He has not dishonoured himself through poor racing or causing trouble, and has been quietly getting on with trying to beat Merhi – they will continue their private battle until the end of the season.

The Results

So there you have it! How do my predictions stack up to the season so far? Well, I have only three correct predictions at this stage (denoted by purple text) – Hamilton, Rosberg and Ericsson are where I thought they would be – but I am pretty close with a lot of others. In the cases of Bottas, Massa, Grosjean, Perez, Maldonado, Sainz, Merhi and Stevens I am out by only one place – which is not too bad!

It goes to show how hard predicting F1 can be. Nothing is certain in a sport where everything can change at any given moment – it will be interesting to see where I stand come the season’s end.

[Thanas]

Irbis has been given a warning for accusing another poster of racism and then running away like the coward he is instead of either substantiating or withdrawing that accusation.

The next time, a ban will be one of the possible options.

[Alferd Packer]

Meanwhile, Manor signs Rossi for 5 of the remaining 7 Grands Prix, in bid to get him some seat time and ensure he has his Super License for 2016.

...and he bins it in Turn 18 during FP1.

Sure, he is driving the worst car and he lost it on the most difficult turn on one of the most difficult circuits, but it still made me chuckle.

[Welf]

Well that was a interesting race. Pity I missed the first 20 minutes. But I got to see 9 or so laps of savety cars and full 2 hours of action.

And only two more DNF by Hamilton and Vettel can win this championship? Everything is open now! (Under a specific set of unlikely circumstances.

[Alferd Packer]

Well, you don't need a DNF technically, just a really bad run from Hamilton. But yeah, that's not going to happen, I think the Mercs have had their bad race for the year, and have gotten it out of their systems.

Realistically, I could see Ferrari win in Mexico, since no one has any data on how the track behaves and Mercedes could mess it up, but I think the WDC is settled. I think a hard-charging Seb could take second place away from Rosberg, though.

Also, it was nice to Rossi win his race (up on Stevens by 11 seconds at the end of the GP). Kid's got some talent, I guess.

[atg]

HAMILTON WINS 2015 WDC!

[Welf]

Why the caps lock? It's not like this is in any way unexpected. The fight for #2 is more interesting.

[Lord Pounder]

Rosberg crying like a little child throwing a tantrum, and his 2nd place hat.

Now he's gurning to anyone who'll listen that Hamilton hit him on the first corner. Hamilton held his line, simple as.

The official from Mercedes didn't too too happy with Rosberg over the hat incident.

[Thanas]

Rosberg crying like a little child throwing a tantrum, and his 2nd place hat. .

I thought Hamilton was a massive dick.

[Alferd Packer]

Honestly, I think Nico was just mad because he lost the race(rather than being mad the Lewis won), and he knew it. He ran wide, while leading comfortably, and it was an unforced error. The lap 1 contact was ultimately irrelevant, what with the safety cars and VSCs.

Lewis tossing the hat, in and of itself, is a fairly harmless gesture. Nico just happening to be stewing in his own juices and tossing the hat caused it to boil over a bit. Frankly, Lewis has earned the right to swing some dick; he's not only done back-to-back WDCs, but he did the second one in even more dominant a fashion than the first. By the same token, Nico has every right to be pissed. He got beaten, he knows it, and now he's facing a legitimate threat from Vettel for second place in the WDC. This is not how he envisioned this season going.

Also, Paddy Lowe giving Nico the death glare was the funniest goddamn thing since watching the Red Bull drivers slow dance during the rain delay yesterday.

[Lord Pounder]

Rosberg crying like a little child throwing a tantrum, and his 2nd place hat. .

I thought Hamilton was a massive dick.

Hamilton also tossed Vettel his hat too and there was no issue. Rosberg just can't handle the fact Lewis is his superior in every way.

[atg]

Why the caps lock? It's not like this is in any way unexpected. The fight for #2 is more interesting.

Lots of media site do it like that in their commentary plus as a Hamilton fan I'm excited.

[darth_timon]

I'm delighted for Lewis. I'm actually from the same town as he is (Stevenage) so I'm particularly proud of him. It wasn't a flawless race for him, but he was tenacious, and he showed the aggressive, ruthless trait that many a champion across many a sporting genre has.

The writing was on the wall since Australia - Hamilton has outperformed Rosberg far more often than not, and in all three years of their time spent as teammates, it's Lewis who has finished ahead of Rosberg. Rosberg's surly behaviour yesterday was probably more down to him thinking 'how do I beat this guy?' Because unless there's a dramatic change in either one of them, Hamilton will beat Rosberg again next year.

[Welf]

Lots of media site do it like that in their commentary plus as a Hamilton fan I'm excited.

In that case: congrats to the nice weekend.

[SpottedKitty]

Lots of media site do it like that in their commentary plus as a Hamilton fan I'm excited.

In that case: congrats to the nice weekend.

If a bit on the soggy side; I was honestly surprised they managed to get two whole qualifying sessions done on Saturday — I don't remember them actually running through rain like that since the memorable Brazilian race a few years back where everyone was slithering off at one particular corner.